Farewell Post 2004

This is it my last post for 2004. I thought about reflecting on what a year it has been, but after watching a recap of this year earlier tonight, I'd rather not. This year I'm afraid has been a year of tragedy.

I've been sampling the cocktails, or more to the point shots. There have been two Jealousys, a Foggy Day and a Shooting Star (which is almost the same as a Foggy Day just bigger quantity. More is always better.). Then I had a Poison (it's one of those cool bluey green looking drinks), I love anything with pineapple juice in it. Yum!

And to top it all off I have made myself a Black Russian, I think one of my fave drinks of all time. I started drinking them just before my 21st I think it would have been. I was at a friend's 21st party and we were all having cocktails, mind you at the time there were only three guests game enough to try the Brain Tumour. I'd seen a picture of this drink previously so wasn't lining up, upon seeing what the first one looked like I think it put everybody else off. Ewww.

I'll call it quits here, I had intended to write this earlier. My dosen't time fly when your having a good time! Provided the world dosen't end, I'll do a first post for 2005. Stay tuned.

It's nearly a new year......

And of course that means more celebrations! I'm hunting for some yummy cocktail recipes - have to have something to serve up in my "special" glasses.

What's so special about them? There coloured plastic cocktail (margarita and martini) glasses which have a light in the base so they "glow in the dark". $2 bucks each.

But what can I say? Anything trashy, camp, kitcsh, or declasse has my name written on it. I'll post pics hopefully so you can see them in all their declasse glory.

I found a recipe online for Bailey's, until I get the recipe for the tried and tested one this will have to substitute.

And since I always talk about Matt Hardy, for your veiwing pleasure and so you can go "Oh, that's him...." Click Here.

Single and Looking v Single

After signing up for something recently I was intrigued by the question of Marital Status. I had a choice of Single or Single and looking.

Well, yes I am single and I am looking. Does it matter what I'm looking for? Because right now it's a Quarter Pounder without mustard, pickle and onion. Ten minutes from now it could be Matt Hardy (something much easier to obtain over the internet), or the next knitting project to make.

I've finally got around to downloading and reading the special mini-issue of Knitty as featured in their Fall issue. I am very keen to make the Boobie Scarf. Mainly because I'm addicted to scarves and secondly because the prospect of knitting a boobie scarf just amuses me to no end. The possibilites of KIP (Knitting In Public) are just too much with this project. No I don't have life.

After following a link from another blog (Yarnivourous I think) I discovered these over at Knitorius. Hmmm, Boobie Scarf, yes. These.....I'm not so sure about.

Stitch n' Bitch Nation appears to have reached our shores at last. I must go and look for it. If you follow this link here, you can see the pictures of the projects in this new book. I've seen some potentials already. What do I mean by some? My particular fave was the last photo in the gallery it looks like a 8-ball tea cosy. Now that would be a cool tea cosy.

I've been doing some "additions" to my blog or more to the sidebar. The knitting links are all still there, plus a few new ones thrown in. But before you get to all the wrestling links, I've included a new section that basically covers my other interests. Websites I like to visit and groups I'm part of, just to give you a little more of an idea what makes this knitter tick

On a final knitting note for today we go to a blog called Wendy Knits.
Why? Because apparently she is the mastermind behind the Bad-Ass Knitter I've come across just recently. You can find the Bad-Ass Knitters Manifesto here and while looking through the archives (July 2004) I see a Bad-Ass Kitty Manifesto was written. Being a cat owner I love it, but it kinda sounds like my cats already are.......

Blogs, Knit Alongs and Really Cool Patterns.

As some of you will have noticed, my list of favourite blogs has increased. These are only about a quarter of the ones I read, the ones listed here on my blog are the ones I try to check back to everytime I'm on. There's another umpteen dozen I try to pop back and check but not quite as regularly - not enough time!

Am I the only one addicted to knitting blogs? I love to see what other people are working on, what yarn their using and where the pattern came from. Unfortunatly this leaves me with not enough time because I keep finding things I want to make! But one of my new faves is Knitting Psychos.

I'm equally intrigued by Knit Alongs. I found a site featuring Knit Alongs for 2004 and it included a link to the site which is hosting the 2005 Knit Alongs. Where there many this year! I hope some of them continue on into next year becuase some of them sound quite cool. My personal fave, though I doubt I'd knit it - the Hello Kitty! Knit Along.

In the online magazines section, I have listed Spun which I heard about on one of my knitting lists. It's a new online magazine starting in Febuary. I can't wait to see what it is like!

Most of the yarn companys who have web pages usually provide free patterns of some sort for their yarns, I had almost given up hope that the (Australian) Patons website would ever get anyhting in their free pattern section. I checked back today and I presume they added the patterns just before Christmas. Not one, not two, but THREE Chritsmas tea cosy's. I know where I work we have a high turn-over in tea cosy's, particulary in the lead up to Christmas. But I think these would only suit someone who loves kitsch. If you know anyone who'd like one next Christmas or just to stare and think what the ......? Click here.

Something else I saw and had to investigate. Having made mittens, I'm contemplating making gloves. But I think I have found the perfect imbetween project. A Glitten - a glove crossed with a mitten. I love them they are so cool looking! You can find instructions here for them.

And last but not least, a new fave website. Jack Daniels, I so will be back. The concept of the virtual drink is just too much temptation. What has this got to do with knitting you ask? Nothing apart from the fact that I really love it and I really love knitting.

I Mock You With My Monkey Pants!

What can I say the early seasons of Buffy we're even funnier than I remember them being. But now Christmas is over, that means the Silly Season is over right?

NO! Today I bring you the weird, the wonderful and the down right wacky of the knitting world.

Lets start with this crazy fun gizmo shall we? How to convert your ordniary electric mixer into a yarn winder, you're dying to see it I know!

I think I may have featured this pattern before, but I love it so much let's bring it round again. I see New Year, New Project coming up! Mini Skull and Crossbones Tote.

A site I discovered and have come to love, most knitters are aware of Opal Sock Yarn. Here is a stack of patterns making stuff other than socks with it, my personal fave is the Choker.

And finally a knit-in I would love to have been part of - Stitch 'n Bitch with Bridget. Maybe I'll just have to put one together myself here Downunder.
 

So it's Christmas and what have you done?

I shall confess all, in the lead up to Christmas I didn't get anywhere near as much as I would have liked to get done. Not even any knitting.

Today's the day, come tommorrow it'll all be over. Have you all survived? I certainly have. I began to have doubts the week before last, but this last week I've been very comfortable with the idea of Christmas. Perhaps a little too comfortable because I struggled to get organised. Arrghhh!

My Christmas celebrations started on Tuesday when we had guests to dinner, they stayed on and we had more guests after dinner. Now my later guests I know LOVE Xmas pudding, so rather than eat it for dessest after dinner we kept it for later. This Xmas pudding, is made by me and my family (my sister and I this year) each year from our Great Grandmother's recipe. This is royalty of puddings and I say this having eaten a lot of other Xmas pudds over the years - all because I think I LOVE it. In truth I love ours, the only one I've tasted that is as good was one made by one of my mother's friends who we had shared our recipe with. This is not something we just hand out to anyone you have to understand!

Back to Tuesday night, for years I have wanted to flambe the pudding. Nobody has really been up for it, I remember once many, many years ago someone in the family tryng it and it was a bit of a fizzer. Nigella Lawson uses vodka for this procedure in her book Feast. Vodka apparently has more staying power than brandy. Translated - you get more flaming time. Now this being the first time round I have nothing to compare it to, but there was blue flames and they burned for quite some time. I was impressed, my guests I think we're impressed and perhaps slightly worried they mightn't get out alive.
I suppose this was the first time in 24 years they'd seen me with hot alcohol and matches in my hands at the same time. It was after midnight before I got to bed, I was left to be Cinderella and clean the kitchen up. Not a bad job, to the victor go the spoils. I finished off the last of the open cider and then drank the last of the champagne (an entire glass, to think it was just going down the sink! Waste of very nice champagne.).

Wednesday night we visited friends who have family visiting from England. I had coke and "a little something", it turned out to be a home-made Tia Maria. Divine! I will be asking for the recipe. Then later on I had a few (small) glasses of home-made Baileys. Also divine! Now this I have about half a dozen recipes for (which I keep meaning to try), but I think I will have to ask for this recipe as well.

Thursday I attempted to recover from two late nights of entertaining. I went to the supermarket and came out leaving my meat behind on the counter. Note to self drink less Baileys before shopping day. Better note to self, get someone else to do shopping and spend what would be shopping time at home enjoying Baileys.

Friday, Christmas Eve, I came home from work and decided that making sausage rolls wasn't likely to happen. What did happen was I had a few drinks (half a cider, half a Midori Splice and half of something begining with A that had Cointrou in it.), where would we be without RTD's? Put all the Xmas lights on and watched the Simpson's Christmas special on Ten, what fun that was! I'm serious it was.

That brings us to today, Christmas Day. I made Gingerbread Muffins (Feast) aka Christmas Morning Muffins (Nigella's Xmas Bites) this morning. They'll be a permanent fixture from now on. Did not much else apart from open presents, my sister gave me among other things the first half of Season Two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I love the early season's of that show, before it took itself too seriously.

Then we come to lunch. Turkey, ham, pasta salad, roast potato and sweet potato, cauliflower cheese and prawns with tequila mayonnaise. Somehow in the organisation we (my sister and I ) missed green vegetables. I think the trouble was we w're both meant to be buying stuff and we didn't co-ordinate very well.

We're going to have dessert now, I think there's room in the kitchen and in our stomaches now for it. Leftover plum pud and Massacre in a Snowstorm (Feast) aka Pomegranate Meringue Mountain (Nigella's Xmas Bites). Only we'll be using raspberrys.

I have enjoyed my Christmas lunch, so much so I'm looking forward to doing it next year.

Back to work I must go.

There is no getting away from it I must pick up the knitting and get back to work. I'm planning a quiet Friday night in, watch some tv and knit my heart out. Not that there's much on of late, but i am absolutely revited by a documentry made by the BBC that's currently being shown on SBS - Love for Sale.

I'm amazed by it, or more to the point, I'm amazed with how much people will pay the girls they are interveiwing. Don't they relise how much yarn that kind of money could buy?

Maybe they do, I wonder if any of them knit? But all this has got me to thinking. If I earnt that kind of money what would I spend it on? Aside from more yarn, more 4mm needles (I never have enough) and then I read about these earlier in the month over at Yarn Harlot and had to check them out for myself.

24K gold knitting needles. For the knitter who has everything and just won tattslotto. Santa I've been good!
Really good.

What was I thinking?

I know I was all for Christmas, with the lights, and the tree, and the decorations, and the food and the idea of a very good time.

But now I am having doubts. Let me put it this way.

Depression = Desperation = DVD's = Debt

Ah, yes the old vicious circle. But the less said there the better. But onto some good news, I was thrilled to discover I am listed on the blog list at The Spinning Goth. That has made my day! Maybe it's pure vanity, but I like to think someone really likes my blog that much.

The Spinning Goth is a real cool blog, Karen the blog writer describes herself as "an eldergoth (as in way too old to be interested in what I'm interested in). "
I've never heard of an eldergoth before, I will have to keep reading! Look for this blog to be added to my fave reads list very soon.

I have been very lax when it comes to my knitting of late, I hope once Christmas is over (let it be soon) I will be able to sit still long enough to enjoy it's soothing benefits.

13 days of Christmas

I can't believe it's now that close! Hands up who else isn't organised?

Since we're in the final countdown for Christmas I thought it aould be appropiate to have some Chrismassy links and ideas for you.

First off we have Sunbeam (the dried fruit company), some yummy cake recipes (choc, rum and apricot looks good) and a very cool Choc Fruit and Nut Tree. Yummo!

Second we have Nigella Lawson's site, I bought her new book Feast the other week. Just in time for Christmas, how well planned was that? So far everybody has been less enthusiastic about this recipe than I have, Sweet Potato's with Marshmallows. I think it was Woman's Day(?) who featured it in their Xmas lunch special last year or the year before? And it has since captivated my attention. And only mine.

What I'll be doing for Christmas lunch is still very much undetermined. I love my family, but I love them more when there far away and I don't have to contend with them. Does this make me Scrooge? An ogre? A really bad person? Of course not, I may be delusional but I am also liberated!
See life on the Darkside isn't all bad. Just a bit weird sometimes.

I know I need help but.....

What brand of yarn are you?

Trendsetters. You love odd, different, and
sometimes impractical things. But it's fun,
right?


What brand of yarn are you? (Knitting)
brought to you by Quizilla

There's no place like home!

It is good to be back! Yes, my technical troubles have been solved. And dear readers, I have mised you! Provided I still have you I hope you've missed my (I like to think) witty repartee about my knitting and the choas that goes on around it.

Od course now, I'm blogging again I really will have to make a concentrated effort to knit more.

In my last post I was talking about knitted decorations, I like the concept of knitted decorations because non-knitters are highly impressed because "you've made so much effort" and gift recipents are also impressed because it only has to come out once a year and if they hate it that's a good thing.

My naughty white cat (who is hearing challenged) dosen't get out much, he adores his toys, certain of my possessions and has a real passion for anything knitted. Especially small knitted things.

You can imagine how long knitted things stay on my tree. Although I have to admit he's getting better. He can get them off without knocking the tree over. But his particular fave decoration? A blue stocking. Of all of them this was the one he had to have the most. Somewhere since last Christmas it has vanished into thin air, or to that place your other sock goes. I guess I'll have to knit him another one.

Speaking of knitting for Christmas, I highly reccommend Neophyte Knitter. It's new on my to be read blogs list and while there I had to check this pattern out and it's given me cause for thought.

It's been too long!

First off, let me just say how good it is to be back in touch with the cyber world. I've made it to the end of the tunnel and found the light switch, albeit not unscathed. Someone always finds a stupid place to put a piece of furniture!

What does all this mean? Well, it means my dear readers, if there are any of you left, I will soon be back among you as my technical troubles will soon be over.

I'm hoping to add some pictures of my experiment with Biggy Print (this was a bargain buy from ebay).

Work has re-commenced on the Dr Who scarf for my sister. I know, I know, work is always recommencing on the scarf. But the end is near and I hope to have it finished soon. I know I say that alot as well, but this time it realy is near. Look for photos of that soon as well.

Yesterday was pudding making day. The Christmas puddings are made and are hanging to dry in readiness for consumption. I love pudding making day, we use my Great-Grandmother's recipe. It is by far the best pudding recipe out, no this is not just mere personal bias. People outside the family rave about it.

While on the subject of Christmas, I've been in the process of hunting down decorations or patterns for decorations that are easy to make. I figure it'll cover a host of "gifts" this silly season. Watch this space for progress!

I suppose I should be doing more knitting, sigh, these things always seem such a good idea to begin with!

Christmas is coming.

It won't be long and it'll be here. And I'm excited this year. I put my tree up on the 29th of October. I was going to wait till the first day of November. But I bought a set of lights this year and just couldn't wait.

Which is a pleasent change from last year when the tree never came out of it's storage place and I did my best to hide form Christmas. I can't say I particulary like Christmas, no it's not my fave time of year. But this year is different.

I have been planning Christmas lunch since last year. But there will be only two of us for lunch this year, and my sister says that means we need to "streamline" it. She also thinks four desserts is too much for two people, I was afraid she'd say that.

But all this talk of Christmas has got me to thinking about tradition. How do you define what you do at Christmas as a tradition or something you merely do out of habit?
Always being a rebel without a cause. Well, I kind of had a cause, okay more of a vague idea. I just wanted to do everything different to everyone else. No, I'm not difficult. I just have certain ideas of how I want things done.

The original menu I had planned has kind of gone out the window, but I am keeping the Frozen Margarita Shots and my sister thinks we should keep the Spicy Mexican Bean Dip (I don't know what's actully Mexican about it, but that's what it's called. I made this the very first Christmas in my own place when I had the family to Christmas. It went down so well I made it everytime I had people coming around and quite frankly got sick of the site of it. It's been long enough.) What will follow for main course is still debatable, I'm not a uge fan of ham or turkey, but I have decided to make the effort and try one of them this year.
Seeing as their is only two of us, and one of dosen't eat prawns (it's the one who does eat ham and turkey) I figure I can splurge and treat myself to prawns, with Tequila Mayonnaise.

There will of course be plum pudding to follow if I ever get it made, we use my Great-Grandmother's recipe, it is truly the best pudding ever. And also the only pudding I've ever eaten and had to have seconds of. There where other desserts to go with this. Pavlova, Strawberry Champagne Trifle and a Frozen Ice Cream Cake.

Ah well, back to the drawing board.

My new yarn! Rowan Biggy Print in Giddy. Watch this space for what I will be knitting with it soon! 

Even closer - this will be my first foray into slubby yarn. 

Close up of Rowan Biggy Print - Giddy. 

Front of packet of Rowan Biggy Print - Giddy. 

Back of Packet of Rowan Biggy Print - Giddy. 

Do not adjust your moniter.

Yes, I'm alive. Although I'm begining to doubt it myself.

I am experiancing technical problems. Hence the reason all has gone quiet.

However there is some very exciting news today. As I sat writing this a parcel was delivered. It was my bargain buy off of ebay.

Rowan Biggy Print in Giddy. Not my first colour choice but it worked out a $10.00 a ball. Not bad for yarn that normal retails for $28 a ball here in Australia.

And for those of you wondering what Giddy is like - think candy colours.

I must end for now, I hope to be back again soon. All those blogs I'm missing out on reading. I'm missing out on serious knitting fixes. Ah well, I have new wool now......

Where is the time?

I haven't blogged for a couple of days, first I just couldn't get five seconds too myself to sit and write and then I ran into a technical glitch that prevented me when I had the time to write.

This is only going to be a short one, I haven't really done alot of anything. The hood on the Italian scarf is nearing completion. Yes!

I'm planning on going shopping, I'm looking for Christmas Cookie Cutters. So I can bake Christmas Cookies.

Yesterday I bought the NEW Auatralian Women's Weekly Christmas Cooking book, and unlike the previous one this is all cooking. And do you know what it had in it? Yes, the choc nut tree. I keep looking for that recipe every year and can never find it. Then once Christmas is over and I'm looking for something else I'll find it. Do you think I can remember where I saw it? The book seems to vanish certain times of the year.

This weekend is of course Halloween! How excited am I? Very. I'm really looking forward to it. Also this is traditionally the weekend we make the Christmas pudding. Unfortunatly nobody seems to have prepared for this. I'll have to see what I can do.

It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to.

Today is the day, it's my 26^th birthday. And what a boring day it is too. The highlights of the day so far was joining the Hallowig Knit Along (my first knit along!) and getting a gift voucher for Spotlight from my sister.

I don't know what I'll spend it on, my sister's like I'm sure you can find something. That's not the problem, deciding which of all the things I find to actually get is going to be the hard part.

As you've probably noticed I have been fiddling with my blog outlay again. I can't help it, now I've figured out how this HTML stuff works, about getting buttons that don't already have code pre-written onto my blog and just finding more stuff I can't resist.

Yes, I am a button-a-holic. If you have a button I will most likely make off with it and put it on my blog.

And for those who don't have buttons I have mastered the art of clickable names. Like some people have a list of blogs they read and you can click the name and go there. I'm not sure what the technical term for that would be. But I refer to it as clickable names because I know what I'm on about, even if my sister the computer geek doesn't know what I mean.

What we have know down the right side of my blog is – Ezekial the DoK's resident feline who counts how many people are coming through my blog, if it slows down I'll know I'm boring you all and try to write something exciting. Isabella the Weather Goth with a weather report from my capital city, unfortunately I can't get a closer report yet. Beneath Isabella is the guide to the moon's phases from my part of the world, probably only really important to me.

Then we have all the knitting links, since my blog is about my knitting and what happens around it. It has some very cool knitting sites, knit alongs (if I'm currently doing any), blogs I like to read, blog rings I've joined so I can read more knitting blogs and links to local knitting groups in my area.

The knitting links and blogs I like to read will probably expand.

What's next? That's right all my pro-wrestling links and all things related to it. Which is followed simply by stuff I've seen somewhere and couldn't resist. Assorted odds and ends, though amongst all the weird stuff there will be some sensible links.

I always check out links on other people's blogs, but then I could just be nosy. I love my buttons and links, I'm kinda disappointed when I go to someone's blog and they have none. I think even though some ones taken the time to write a post for their blog you can learn a lot more about them and their interests from stuff they link to. And you can also learn a lot in general checking out some of the links. You just never know what you'll find.

Home Sweet Home

It's good to be home, not that I didn't enjoy craft camp. I did some very cool stuff and learnt something very new and exciting.

Monday afternoon I spent doing as much work as possible on my Italian Scarf, I am pleased to report that by the time I left yesterday I was halfway through the hood.

Tuesday morning I learned the finer points of propagating plants, maybe I'm a bit closer to being able to grow them as opposed to killing them.

This was followed up by silk painting where I made a scarf. I was planning on blue and purple, but then nearly everybody used blue and there were at least two other blue and purples. Instead I made a purple and green one, or it was meant to be. It came out a bit more green with a hint of purple. But it is so incredibly cool! And I made it, which just makes it so much more excellent.

Then in the afternoon, I went to the Fun with Felt class. I presumed it would be cutting felt out in shapes and gluing them together. About my level of craft ability.
But what it turned out to be was felting wool. I was very excited because I've been dying to try a felted bag pattern.

This was felting of a different kind than what I expected, it's based on a Japenese style of felting, begins with N. Not expecting it to be this I hadn't taken anything to make notes on.

Start with a piece of cotton voile, layer it with fleece that has been carded but not spun (it's kinda fluffy and is called "tops" and there are also coloured ones). Put your design on to it out of more "tops" or other bits of yarn - I made a Starfish design out of some very pretty coloured stuff that had silk in it. Then place a piece of tulle over it, spray with warm soapy water and using a plastic bag you smooth it all over. Sort of flatten it and causes it to start to felt. Then take the tulle off, roll it up in the bamboo blind it's on, and then roll the rolled up blind back and forth to cause the firction that makes it felt.
Mine took a bit longer to felt because I hadn't put as much fleece stuff on my voile. Once it was felted enough it was then fulled, which consisted of folding it up and droping it down hard on the table a couple of times. Followed by "shocking it", you tell it lewd jokes.

No, not really. Into hot water and then into cold, wring it out. Quick press with the iron and off to leave it to dry. I am very impressed with myself.

Wednesday morning I made handcream which turned out to be really simple and very quick. Virtually idiot-proof, another craft at my level. I made a lemon-grass scented cream. Smells really, really nice.
That was my time away at craft camp.

And today since I feel like it and I need cheering up, the perve of the day!
 

Closer, closer, it's here!

It's hard to believe just a week from now my birthday will have been and will all be over.

I'm about to embark on a three day stint at craft camp. I'm making hand cream and will also be doing some silk painting. I'm hoping inbetween times being away from home will leave me reasonably distraction free and I can get some serious knitting done. I'll let you all know when I get back and hopefully have pictures to go with.

No I really can't leave these quiz's alone. I saw this one over at ttbookjunkie knits I suspect I may not be the only quiz junkie.

What kind of knitter are you?

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting
and do it all the time. While finishing a piece
is the plan, you still love the process, and
can't imagine a day going by without giving
some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation
involves leaving ample space for the stash and
supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn
ends and you begin.
http://marniemaclean.com


What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

And this is one I also originally saw on ttbookjunkie knits and have been meaning to go back and do.

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Novelty Eyelash.
You are very of the moment, hip, and happening. You
are often seen wrapped around someone's neck.
Some see you as too flashy and ultimately
shallow, but you are having too much fun to
notice.


What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

What I've done today.

While cruising other people's knitting blogs and cruising knitting blogs they had links to I discovered this site - Domiknitrix. She has designed a very cool devil hat pattern. I absolutley love it. I may have to buy a copy.

Yes as you've proably noticed I'm less of a cranky old bag today. Miracles do happen.

My sister and I rummaged through the Dr Who Scarf bag where all the wool and the ball bands are kept for this project. Do you think we could find the band for the mid-brown which we need to buy more of? No. So we are going to have to take the remaining wool and try and match it.

I'm pleased to say that the scarf is past the halfway mark, it'll be so much quicker to finish now. I really must force myself to work on it.

As soon as I figure out how it's done I'm going to put my fave blogs to read down the side here. Other people have it, you know a list of names and you can click and go see the blog or site. Just as soon as I figure it out.....

Fast track to Mad Old Batdom.

Yes, it's happening. I'm on the express to Mad Old Batdom and I'm not sure a return trip is possible.

I'm not sure what has sparked it today. I had a daily ration of chocolate. A large piece of mud cake for breakfast. (I find chocolate cake is excellent for any meal of the day.)

Maybe it's my impending birthday. Maybe I just don't like the thought of other people being so incredibly happy. Maybe I know I won't get Matt Hardy dipped in chocolate for my birthday.

Why can't I have Matt Hardy dipped in chocolate? Well?

I haven't knitted today or yesterday. It must be making me uptight.

Hopefully I'll get some knitting squeezed in between dinner and the end of Johnathan Creek. Which project will I pick? Hmmmm, this could be exciting.

That's my riveting Friday night. What is everybody else doing?

Fluffy Pink Knitting

I am going to watch Miss Marple tonight. The Moving Finger - all about poisen pen letters and a murdered letter victim. So in honour of Miss Marple I am going to work on my fluffy pink scarf.

I hope to have a progres photo very soon for you. I might even get some work done on the Dr Who scarf. It's probably a good thing Tom Baker was th elongest running Dr. Plenty of time to finish it.

Yet another short one today. I will make an effort in my next few blogs. Something exciting might happen.

Matt Hardy might mysteriosly appear at my door gift wrapped and unconcious in a large brown sack.

Truth is weirder than fiction.

I did knit today.

Yes, I knitted today. I did more work on the Girl's fluffy pink scarf. My mother thinks it will make an ideal Christmas present for my cousin who is 6 and an absolute pink fan. That's one present taken care of.

I managed to get the beanie to match the mittens cast on and half the ribbing done on Saturday. Or more to the point a fellow knitter offered to work on something for me since her project had come to a holt. This was the same knitter who told me there was something wrong with the fluffy scarf and didn't think it would work. I suppose I should be nice to her, I might be able to get her to do the rest of my ribbing on the beanie. I'm thinking this beanie along with the mittens will be my mother's present. I suppose I'd better give her something I've made. She's tried to claim at least three of my projects I'm making for myself for herself.

It's not like she can't knit, she just won't try anything bigger than booties.

I'm hoping to figure out how to make stuff clickable on my site. So I too can list my fave blogs to read. It can't be hard to do. Can it?

After reading (at http://ttbookjunkie.blogspot.com/) about this quiz I had to take it, yes I am addicted to quiz's.

The Sheep Quiz, Mark 2!

Which flock do you follow?

this quiz was made by alanna

You are a - Goth Sheep!
Black is the new black, don't you know. All you happy people scare me.

I'm loving it! What sheep are you?

If I was a yarn.....

I did absolutely no knitting last night. It happens.

Amanda who told me my mini-bag came up great - thankyou! I've been across to read Amanda's blog ttbookjunkie knits. Amanda's been traveling around the US the last two years, sounds like fun. Some people have all the luck. What I wouldn't give for even two hours in the US.

While at Amanda's blog I saw this and had to go try it.

What kind of yarn are you? quiz.

Apparently I'm Shetland. Hmmm, maybe I should try again it doesn't really go with the Interchangeable's.

Well, I think that's it for today. Maybe I'll get some knitting done tonight. Maybe.

IT WORKS!!!

I started the Girl's Turquoise Scarf from Creative Knitting Issue 7 - Scarf Special on Saturday. Or to be more precise I started it four times on Saturday. I started it again last night in a last ditch effort.

And it worked, and it looks really good. I'm making it out of a stray ball of fluffy pink stuff and I actually like it. Pink is one of my least favourite colours. Mainly because it's so hard to find a nice one. But I am very pleased with how it's progressed in one nights work.

Once agian today's is another short one. Perhaps I can get some more knitting done. Pretend to be remotely productive.

This, that, and something other.

I've passed the 250 visitor mark, I just wish some of you would let me know what you think of my blog. Either in the comments section at the bottom of the posts or in my doodle board. Some feedback would be really good.

I think I have mentioned the Knitting with Fabric kits here in my blog before(?). I know I've been talking about them else where to people. Somebody (the very helpful Kylie from Melbourne SnB) suggested a link when I was talking about these knitted fabric bags, the Nordic Needle based in the US have them on their site. And they are the ones I'd seen in my local Spotlight. Well my local Spotlight had the Purple Gem and the Southwest Hobo. You can all go and look and see what I'm so excited about. Or wonder what I'm so excited about.

The nearly completed Mini-Bag made from Rowan DK Cotton. All that's left is the strap. 

The finished mittens from Funky Knitting. 

Barbie's Witch Dress from About.com. 

Close up of bead work on Mini-Bag. 

Things that fly.

I was just thinking how time flies, and so do witches.

It was election day here today. Oh yeah. I'm sure it will allow lots of knitting time tonight as all we're bound to get is election coverage.

I'm a bit bewildered about this Family First party that has sprung up. Who are they? I asked my sister having never heard of them before. According to my sister what she's heard from one of their candidates is they think mosques and bottle shops are supposed to be somehow related to the devil. And another of their candidates claimed that all lesbians are witches.
Okay, I think we now know what kind of party they are. The Raving Idiot Party. Do people actually vote for these people? I hope not, they should be thoroughly discouraged at every available opportunity.

But I suspect like those people who persist on knocking on doors to tell people about God they are not easily discouraged. Not that I have anything against God. I just object to being awoken early on a Saturday morning by cheerful people eager to tell me about him.

I continued to work on the skirt of Barbie's knitted witch's dress last night. It looks really good so far, it has a ruffle around the base. I'll post a picture hopefully sometime over the rest of the weekend of it and my other projects (mittens - completed, mini-bag - nearly completed).

I have been working on Dr Who but he's been put to one side for Barbie. She's so much easier to work on. I will get Dr Who done - eventually.

While reading Yarn Harlot (very cool blog, an absolute must read) I've become fascinated with the Thrum Mitten Along. I was reading about the pair she made and they looked really trippy. They also look like they might be hard. Hmmmmm, when has that stopped you Suzi? I'll just jump in with both feet and see what happens.

In seeing there is nothing but election coverage tonight I might have to ransack the DVD shelf and see what I can come up with to watch. I think in honour of October and the Family First Party it'll be a trashy witch movie!

I'm thinking it might be Elvira - Mistress of the Dark tonight. Very trashy but very funny movie!

Quick Quick!

It's what my parents say to the dog last thing at night to encourage her to go out and do whatever it is dogs do before coming in to bed for the night.

It's also what my post today will be. Well I shall recap some of my highlights, started the witch's dress for Barbie last night. I had the thrill of eating big toast today.

It's called Texas Toast. It's these incredibly huge slices of bread. I love them.

I fiddled with my blog some more and added some more links to stuff that well interests me, and since this blog is about what interests me......

And being Friday, I have a favourite link for you all. Okay now I've lost the link, but here it is. My fave top ten for this Friday!

Top Ten Reasons Why Trick-or-Treating is Better Than Sex:

10. Guaranteed to get at least a little something in the sack.

9. If you get tired, wait ten minutes and go at it again.

8. The uglier you look, the easier it is to get some.

7. You don't have to compliment the person who gave it to you.

6. Person you are with doesn't fantasize you're someone else.

5. If you get a stomach ache, it won't last nine months.

4. If you wear a Bill Clinton mask, no one thinks you're kinky.

3. Doesn't matter if kids hear you moaning and groaning.

2. Less guilt the next morning.

1. If you don't get what you want, you can always go next door!

Work, work, work.

Work has re-commenced on the Dr Who scarf. My sister informs me she thinks we're approaching the start of the Tom Baker era. I will need to knit lots and lots to get this finished in time. I have passed the halfway mark, I hope. I haven't been brave enough to count the grand total of rows in the scarf. But I have counted the stripes. I've done 24 and have 14 to go. As soon as I get this block of maroon done it's all short stripes to the end.

I'm not feeling very partial to my mittens, no I don't like them. I've tried to counteract this by wearing them and thinking how nice and warm they are. We seem to have hit a cold snap again, at least where I am feels very cold, especially at night.
I suspect my mother will be getting a pair of mittens very soon.

I got a complimentary copy of Elann's newsletter yesterday. It features four yarns, three of them Jo Sharp! I have finally had a chance to feel the Silkroad Aran, Silkroad Aran Tweed and the Rare Comfort Kid Mohair.

I've had a good fondle, stroked them all and decided to hell with the cost I have to have some! I was thinking of buying some of the Rare Comfort Kid Mohair so as to make some socks and a hot water bottle cover as featured in Jo Sharps Fourth Book – Home. I'd like to try socks and a hot water bottle cover in kid mohair just seemed so decadent. How can I not make it?

The pictures besides the Rare Comfort Kid Mohair in the Elann newsletter are of “Nouveau” Crocheted Shawl and “Cosmopolitan” Wrap Cardigan both of which come from Jo Sharp Village. They look gorgeous. I must learn to crochet. I must buy Jo Sharp Village.

Bags are the new scarves. I need to break away from scarves and the only other thing that really excites me is bags. After reading Clemtines's Shoes (another knitters blog, a must read) I had to ask about her In The Bag bag. She pointed me in the direction of In The Bag's website. I think my favourite design was the same one Diana was working on, it's called Winter Collection 2003 - Slimline. I've added it to my future to make list. It never seems to end.

Having made mittens I am very keen to now try gloves. Knitting a pair of gloves just seems very cool.

I am still very envious of my sister (and fellow knitter) and her very exciting projects. Namely the Alien Illusion Scarf from Stitch N' Bitch. Now she's also got two beanies on the go. One with a cable and the other one is a “ski hat” and features a fair isle pattern of snow flakes.

I spent almost a year knitting squares before I branched out into more “challenging” projects. After a month and an not even quarter finished square my sister had branched out into very cool projects.

Finished!

I have completed my second mitten, it dosen't look as good as the first one however so I am a little disappointed.

And do you know what this means? One less project underway. This means I can start something else (or more to the point devote the time to something abandoned. But these are not new and interesting any longer).

So I thought I'd work on some Halloween projects. A witch's outfit for Barbie, complete with hat and broom from About.com. I'm sure I have black and orange yarn knocking about at home.

Then the ultimate costume decoration - Hallowig form Knitty. This may require more work, it's on double-point needles. And I need to find just the right colour. Magnum produce a very vivid purple colour I just adore.

Lucky link for today is:

Halloween Online - The Internet's Largest Halloween Resource

Before I finish for today I would like to reccomend a book to you all I have just read. Married Alive by Julie Birchill, a very funny book and worth the read.

Another day less.

Work on the second mitten is back on now the stitches have been picked up. I've done some more work on the hood of my Italian scarf it's looking really good.

I met a new knitter today at SnB, always fantastic to meet someone new. And her daughter (only 9 weeks old) is absolutely beautiful!

I found this recipe through About.com and it sounds really yummy, I might have to try it out. Yes, I know - American. It will require some converting.

Chocolate Mousse Witches Hats

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1 cup milk chocolate chips
4 squares (1oz.each) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp. shortening
1 pkg (4 3/4 oz) chocolate sugar ice cream cones
Halloween sprinkles
12 thin Chocolate wafers (2 1/4 " diameter)

Instructions: In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup cream to a boil; remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

In a mixing bowl, beat the remaining cream until stiff peaks form; fold into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate.

In microwave or double-boiler, melt semi-sweet chocolate and shortening. Stir until smooth. Dip pointed tips of ice cream cones a third of the way into melted chocolate; roll in sprinkles. Refrigerate until set.

Just before serving, spoon mousse into cones. Top each with a chocolate wafer. Invert onto a serving platter.

I'll have to start shopping for Halloween decorations, so hard to find, even though Halloween is becoming more popular here. I was thinking for Christmas (it's not far now) I'd go with a Nightmare Before Christmas theme. I think it would be highly applicable.

Make the most of the Post-Halloween sales, it'll be exciting and very, very fun!

I'm counting!

I'm counting down the days to my birthday and even better the days to Halloween. If only I'd been born a week later.....

I started the hood on my Italian scarf (finally!) and it looks really good. Look for a photo real soon.

****The following may offend some witches, I'm sorry, but I love the old hag and the trashy temptresses! Give me more!****

Onto more knitting and Halloween, About.com in their knitting section have a Halloween section. My personal favourite - Barbie Witch's outfit. It's so cute!
But is Barbie a real witch? Hmmmmmm........you do have to buy her friends.......

Speaking of Barbie's, I do believe I have mentioned the Gothic Bride Cake before? I'll include the link here, because I'm not sure I put it in last time. It's over at Cat Smith DIYing. How gorgeous is it?

It may be very kitsch but I love themed food. Cooking for Halloween is my ultimate fave, probably because I get to make lots of stuff shaped like ghosts and skulls.

Halloween wouldn't be complete without a trashy witch flick or better yet multiples!

I'm loving I've Been Waiting For You, it's based on a story (Gallows Hill) written by the author of I Know What You Did Last Summer. Perhaps not on the same scale as Last Summer the movie. Never read either of the books however.

The Italian Scarf, the Mitten and the Bag.

Well, I have completed my first mitten with a little assistance from a fellow knitter who picked up the two stitches from the base of the thumb for me. The pattern I used is from the book Funky Knitting, and I have used Bendigo's 8-ply in Carnival (I can't remember what "type" it is). The colour did nothing for me on the shade card, and impressed me no more when I was given the ball. However knitted up I am absolutely loving it!

I've completed the thumb on my second mitten, I just need to find someone who can pick up stitches now.........

My Italian scarf I am very thrilled to say is at the point where I can actually start the hood. Yeah! Look for a picture to follow soon.

I'm planning to press and sew up the Mini-Bag tonight, yes my first project involving beads I am absolutely thrilled with it.

On a non-knitting related note, I got an e-mail back from the very divine Shane Helms (YUMMY!!!!). Granted it was only one line, but he obviously saw me as the deranged lunatic I am and decide not to encourage me.

My name is Suzi and I like to terrorize unsuspecting male wrestlers (but only the cute ones, there's not enough time for them all so I had to be choosy).

But before I go I saw this quiz and had to do it! What kind of knitting needles are you?

You are interchangeable.
Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every
eventuality covered and every opportunity just
has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and
every day is a new beginning. You are good at
so many things, it's amazing, but you can
easily lose your place and forget to show up.
They have row counters for people like you!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

That's it for today, I might actually get some knitting done today or I may just plan future projects.

Just a quick note.

Today's will be incredibly quick. Just to let you all know I am indeed alive and well and stranded without my knitting! How will I cope?

I've included some pictures of my boys today so you can see what they look like. I'll be looking at pictures of some other boys shortly......but enough about that.

Here's the black & white cat, no less equally naughty than the white one. Perhaps just less weird. None the less I love him all the same. And he loves my knitting. 

My naughty white cat. He is a slight worry since he failed his hearing test, he spends most of the day in his own mad little world. Kind of like me.... 

Mini bags, Italian scarfs and a good cup of tea.

With a little help from some of my fellow knitters I have the front and back of my mini bag done. All that remains is to start sewing it together and knit the strap and then figure out how to put the lining in. It should be finished very soon! I’ll post a picture when it’s done.

My Italian scarf is approaching the halfway mark, a few more rows and I should be onto the hood and then it’s onto the second half of the scarf. Nearly done!

There is nothing I enjoy more than a good cup of tea. Well actually there is, a good cocktail. And one of my absolute faves has to be a Black Russian. Yum!

I know once again I failed to do my favourites on Friday. I’ve been consumed with finishing a project and have been otherwise distracted. Hopefully this will improve.

One day less....

I confess I haven't knitted anything today so far, there's still the rest of tonight to go however. I haven't located my 3.25mm needles yet so the Italian Scarf may be un-abandoned.

Today I'm going to include the recipe for an absolutely delicious dip, I had it at my Stitch N' Bitch meet-up earlier this month, brought along by Cathy (who also makes a very yummy banana cake). I made up a batch of this dip last night – yummy!

But first I am going to offer a few words of advice, cream cheese if you haven't had the forethought to remove it earlier tends to be firm straight from the fridge so I find usually about 10 seconds on High in the microwave makes it easier to mix. Also when buying pre-grated cheese, try to get one marked “grated” and not “shredded”.

Cathy's Easiest Ever Dip

1 tub (250g) Mainland Lite Cream Cheese Masterfood's Corn Relish Grated Cheese

Mix as much corn relish and cheese as you want into the cream cheese and place in serving dish.

Yep, it's as easy as that. That's why I like it this is the extent of my culinary achievements. There are some alternative flavour suggestions for this dip:

1 pkt French Onion Soup mixed with a small quantity of water or lemon juice to make a paste then stir into the cream cheese.

Or 1 tin salmon (red or pink) and grated cheese mixed into the cream cheese.

Or fruit chutney or gherkin relish and grated cheese mixed into the cream cheese.

I can't recommend this recipe enough. I think this is going to become the new Spicy Mexican Bean Dip (no I will not tell you about this dip because it has reached the point where I hate it. Yes, I made it that much).

Philly Chilly

1 tub cream cheese X amount of sweet chilli sauce

Tip cream cheese out onto serving dish and pour over sweet chilli sauce to taste. After all some like it hot, not that I've ever found sweet chilli sauce to be that hot. However this is delicious!

We're now less than a month away from my birthday, I'll be the grand old age of 26. 30 is getting very close and there's still so much to do! I suppose I'll just have to move the deadline to 40.

In the lead up to my birthday you'll get all my thoughts and ideas, today's thought is cupcakes. I love cupcakes, don't you?

Birthdays, Holidays and Stitches.

Do you know what today is? It's none other than Matt Hardy's birthday. And in honour of this grand occasion I have declered this day a holiday - well for me at least. All the better to celebrate this day with.

The mini-bag is progressing well, if I can find my 3.25mm I'd finish the front. It turns out to do the back I have to pick up stitches along the cast on edge and knit up. I suppose I have to learn to do it sometime. Blah.

Once again I am awaiting the postman, hopefully R2 will arrive today. Come on Mr Postman where are you?????

I thought it might be helpful if I included a link to my mini bag here so you could see what I've got and what I'm hoping to get (the Denim one!).

Whoops! So busy writing my dear readers I didn't see the post van arrive, the doorbell ringing was the first I relised the post man was here. Yeah!

Okay, let's open the parcel and see if it is what it shouod be - R2!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah it's R2! And Jo Sharps Book Four - Home. New project planning awaits me. How cool is this someone else's birthday and I get presents for me?
I can see where the appeal for the project Shaggy (comes from R2) it's a hooded jacket made up from knitted squares. Some of the other designs are a bit different.

And do you know what else today is? It's exactly a month till my birthday! What will I do this year anyhting maybe nothing? I've been dying to make a Gothic Bride Cake ever since I laid eyes on it. It's all too exciting! 

New Project Alert!!!

I have ventured into my first project using Rowan yarn, cotton and beads in knitting. And yes, it's all in the one project. It's a mini-bag. And is very cute and I love it. I'm impressed to no end that I've knitted something with beads.

Work on the Italian Scarf has come to a halt so I could work on my mini-bag when it arrived late this afternoon. I'm still waiting on my copy of R2.

But my bag is so cool! Yes, I adore it. I will be in raptures about it for weeks to come or at least until I get another new project. Such is life,

I'm afraid it'll be another short one today, it's late and I'm literally going to crawl to my bed, if I'm lucky I might crawl into it.

Something New, Something Old and Something Red.

You will have probably noticed some changes and new additions to my blog. They'll probably change and be unadded as I see how I like them and if they work.

On the knitting front I have actually got a quite alot of work done on my Italian scarf.

I'm awaiting the arrival of a new knitting pattern book R2 (you can find out more at R2.com), it's produced by Rowan (English yarn company). I'm looking forward to seeing it for myself as I have heard very good things about it. Shaggy seems to be the popular project.

I'm also hoping to get some yarn from Bendigo Woolen Mills, what I'll make with it I have no idea since there's only one ball of the stuff and I have no idea what colour it is yet.

Final note for today is Sinnerman by Nina Simone. It is one of my favourite songs of all time and well worth a listen.

Growing Up (very long!)

Yes, today’s will be a long one. I recommend a comfortable seat and a cup of tea.

I was thinking about this earlier while watching the Banger Sisters – Suzette makes me think of me. Growing old disgracefully. I’m sorry Dad, but no I can’t be a normal person. Well, not for long periods of time anyway. That naughty me wants to run the show all the time by locking the good me in the attic.

It must have been when I was about 6 that Madonna’s movie Desperately Seeking Susan came out. I couldn’t wait to see it, and neither could my closest friend at the time (who I ended up meeting up at college with), being huge Madonna fans even way back then. To this day I still have very fond memories of that movie.
I loved dress-ups as a child I still do, but about this age I had my aforementioned friend over to play one day, her father worked shift work so often she would sit up at night with her mother and watch those American soaps – the ones with the femme fatales and TV’s best bitches.
I came flouncing into the living room in one of my “outfits” where my mother and friend where, upon my arrival my friend announced to my mother “She’s trying to get a man into her bed.”
Very wise girl, don’t we all still do that today.

When I was 8 (or 9?) one of the girls in my grade brought one of her mother’s magazines to school. And we are not talking Family Circle here, far form it. The boys wanted to see it but we wouldn’t show them, then they stole it off us and ran away with it. When we caught up with them they told us they’d chucked it in a bin. Off we went looking for it. Then who comes across the playground towards us magazine in hand? One of the teachers complete with boys in tow. They’d only dobbed us in. Boys!

Then when I was in high school, I can’t remember which year exactly, at my birthday party we (bunch of girls again) decided to go down to the local school oval near where I lived and see if the ones we’d dared would actually run around it. This was like one in the morning. My mother unfortunately caught most of us sneaking out the front door, a couple of them actually got down the street and to the oval without my mother seeing them. I had to go and let them in while my mother was lecturing on us wandering about the street that time of morning.

I can’t remember if that was the same year we played Nightmare, you know the “interactive video board game”. I was highly impressed with it then, but if that wasn’t the oval year it was still the year Jessica stood on the dining room table and sang the US national anthem.

Then we come to November 1995, I cut all my hair off, left college and discovered what professional wrestling was and have never looked back in some respects.

After college, I went through more varying hair lengths. Got my nose pierced. For my 21st I had my ears pierced. Which lasted marginally longer than my nose piercing. I got bored with my original earrings very quickly, and just couldn’t find enough variety to bother with them after that.

Since then I’ve left home, acquired two cats (everybody has their cross to bear and mine is a naughty white cat), went to have my navel pierced which is another story entirely which has certain factors in it which I am not willing to share with the world only to say water retention played a major part in my downfall.

Now I live alone with my two cats (had a flatmate didn’t work out, another long story), love every minute of it. I still do very bad things like eat chocolate cake or leftover pizza for breakfast. Actually I find chocolate cake is acceptable for any meal.
Away from home for four years and I get to do all those things I couldn’t do at home, which doesn’t leave much.

I guess you all know by now my love of knitting and professional wrestling, it’s well documented in my blog. But what else makes a knitter on the darkside tick?
For most of my life I have had an obsession with the unusual, the paranormal, religion and Agatha Christie novels. My interest in the unusual and paranormal has perhaps rendered me a bit of a social reject. Because stuff like that makes people think your weird/crazy/not normal and they won’t like you and you’ll never get a husband.
Well that may be so, I may be on the fast track to becoming that loony old lady who lives in the big house with a gazillion cats and piles of newspapers (piles of newspapers I ask you?) but I’ll watch professional wrestling and I won’t care if it’s real or fake I’ll just enjoy looking at all the young guys. Matt Hardy will probably be a grandfather by that stage and long since retired, we’ll have to have one of his grandsons, Matt Hardy Version 3. Hmmmm, I’ve always liked the idea of a toy boy.

If that’s what becomes of people who are weird and nobody likes, being very happy and free, then what’s wrong with all you normal people then? I’m waiting!

I'd forget my head if it wasn't taped on......

Yes, I know yesterday was Friday, and I was other wise distracted. Matt Hardy to be precise, but if you don't follow wrestling you'll probably be none the wiser.

I was drooling over pictures of this wonderful side of beef (and before anybody snickers and makes a salacious comment) he was wearing clothes in all of them! Thankyou very much.

As I sit here today writing this I have Jethro Tull playing on the stereo. Jethro Tull was a band from the sixties/seventies. If you haven't heard anything from them I strongly suggest you listen to their music.
Back to Friday, yesterday we should have had my favourites. So we'll do them today.

Favourite Colour: I like the Bruise palette (covers black, blue, purple, green and yellow. Though I've never been a fan of yellow.).

Favourite Knit Project: Currently this would be my Italian Scarf. And yes, I worked on it today! Wonders will never cease.

Favourite Free Knit Pattern: Today or to be more accurate yesterday's would have been the Monk's Travel Satchel (which can be downloaded at Interweave.com from their Projects and articles section and was an excerpt from the book Folk Bags).

How old is your oldest UFO? I think mine is a year. All the others are younger. Not too bad I don't think.

The Italian Scarf

Yes, this is the week where I will get back to work on my Italian scarf. I'm afraid it has languished of late in the depths of the WIP's pile. What is the Italian scarf you ask? Well it's a Hooded Scarf Pattern from a Patons book, it's made in a 14 ply. What I have is a 14 ply equivalent from Italy which feels divine, and is a lovely blue-grey variegated style yarn. Very nice. I'll have to post a picture so you can see what it's like.

The lady in the yarn store and I seem to have the same conservation every time I go to pick my yarn up.

"I'm here to pick up some more of my yarn."
"Oh yes, what colour is it?" "It's kind of bluey-grey."
"Oh yes, here it is. Isn't it wonderful to knit with?"
"Yes, it's knitting up really well. I love it."

I must go and find it from amongest my pile of knitting. It's all packed into a washing basket and is starting to overflow. I probably need to finish some of them.

Random musings.

I haven't really knitted anything of late, hmmmm, I have knitted something. How bad is this I can't remember what? The feathers scarf! 

I'd better be off and do something more productive. Yes I should be knitting something. Tonight's CSI night, must find something simple to knit while I watch.

Why knit anything at all you may ask? Even if you don't I'm going to tell you anyway. I find I tend to fidget, it doesn't matter how interesting whatever it is I'm watching I have to be doing something or I roam about reorganizing or searching for something I know I have but where is it?

Yes, my attention span is that short, hence the many WIP. Sad I know.

Todays quote I find highly applicable to me.
"I'm sure people see me as a screaming redhead with a big pair of boobs, but I like to think I've got things to say."
Geri Halliwell, former member of the Spice Girls.

Red Heads - Famous, Freaky, Feral and Fun

Yes, today my post will be about red heads and how you should all appreciate us far more. There aren't that many of us about. Which got me thinking, how many famous red heads are there? How many do I know of?

On to my favourite red heads. Well my absolute all time fave has to be Jessica Rabbit ("I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way."), yes I've been a fan ever since I saw Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Gillian Anderson probably most memorable in my mind for Scully from X-Files. Redhead with cool job and got to get up close and personal with David Duchovny. Redhead with very very cool job!

Bette Midler probably one of the most well known in the world. I remember her mostly for her movies then for her music. Very funny lady.

To pro wrestling and while perhaps not an au natural redhead such as myself, Lita. One very cool red head and one of my fave female wrestlers. And for those of you not familiar with wrestling you can see all about Lita here.

And how could I talk about my fave red heads and not mention Geri Halliwell. I can't say I was a huge fan of the Spice Girls. Then I saw an interview they did on a very well know day time talk show, they we're all asked about their first paycheck and what they did with it. They went along the line and they we're all saying how they'd bought this and that and it always seemed to be for some family member. Then they got to Geri on the end. "I didn't know how long it would all last so I bought myself a red sports car." A girl after my own heart.

Having said all that, there probably is quite a few of us and we always are quite exceptional. It may be personal biases, but I think we have some unusual gene the other hair colours lack. Another (not natural, but still) red headed female wrestler April Hunter said "You can sleep with a blonde, you can sleep with a brunette, but you'll never get any sleep with a red head!".

Not that this is anyway the limit on amazing and famous redheads, I did a search to see what else I could talk about and found this site Redheads.net and they have a famous red heads page among other things. There we're a few others I knew of but didn't think of immediately and a few others I didn't know.

F is for Friday, Favourites and Failure!

Okay so I didn't get round to writing my Friday Favourites yesterday. But I'll do it today, today's Friday Favourite Free Pattern is Knitty's new Fall Issue. It's just gone up yesterday and has some very cool stuff in it. My personal favourite is the Hallowig. Yes, I love Halloween, wigs and knitting and this is one very cool way to incorporate it all in one. I am very pleased! Another something I want to talk about today is The Red Hat Society, they sound like a lot of fun. If only I were older (you have to be fifty to wear the red hat and purple outfit, under this you have to wear a pink hat and lavender outfit. How boring!). Apparently there isn't a chapter in my local area. What a shame. I'd like to meet some of these Red Hat members. You can view their website here.

Onto a new project I started last night, it's the 8. Feathers Quick Knit Scarf with Tassels from Patons Book 1208 FEATHERS & PATONS 8 PLY - "Feathers Fashion".
After 4 hours work last night I had knitted the entire first ball and started into the second.

I know I can't manage to finish anything I already have started but I can finish a Snow Bunny Hat in 2 days and what looks like a 2-day stint to make a scarf. It may prove the inspiration I need to work on something else and get it finished. Like the Italian scarf. It's another Patons pattern for a hooded scarf in 14 ply, but I'm using some 14 ply equivalent from Italy which feels oh soooo nice.

Celebrity's, Cozys and Chilli Cravings.

Today boys and girls I will start off with my Chilli cravings, or should I say addictions. It all started the other day when I was scouring my corner store for cheese corn chips. Had to have cheese corn chips, must have cheese corn chips. Did they have any? NO!!!
However they did have the Doritos Name This Flavour packs still available. I believe the competition has ended but I haven't checked to see what the names are yet. But these ones according to the packet contain cheese and chilli. It was a corn chip and it had cheese so I bought them. And then began a great love affair. These are too nice. It's very hard to leave them alone - there like tacos only so much nicer!

Next we have the Heinz Spaghetti and Spicy Meatballs, if those were spicy I'd hate to think what plain must be like. It's hard to imagine anything blander.
That was dinner last night, lunch today was a Small potato from Praties. I was optimistic and got the Mexicana. It was almost like eating bolognaise. Second disappointment.
Third try lucky, dinner tonight Chilli Quarter Pounder from McDonald's. I'm sure most of you will have seen the ads for it or the giant signs in-store - Ignite with the first bite! I suspect I wasn't the only one being optimistic.

I ate 3/4 of the burger before it even began to think about igniting and unlike the ads there were no tears or sudden urges to drink lots. However, having said that it was incredible! My only regret is I only bought one! If you have not tried this burger yet, are you mad? No perhaps it's better you don't, then there's more for me.

While talking about addictions and things I'm passionate about I feel I must share the story of the green tea cosy. As a child I would put my mother's green tea cosy on my head and run around in it. Perhaps that's where my obsession for cozys stems from. I really like the idea of making them and I never ceased to be amazed at what people think up cozys for. Take the Beer Cosy for example, maybe a bit late for Father's Day now. But there's still birthday's and Silly Season to come. The pattern for this cosy is an excerpt from the book Knitting Pretty and can be found here along with some other patterns taken from the book.

And before I forget there is the Celebrity Knitting I picked up today while of shopping. It was printed in the 80's in England. Could explain why I don't recognize the celebrity's. There are some absolute clunkers in it but also some patterns with real potential. My personal favourite is the Daring Bare Midriff Dress. Look for that in my album some time soon. Or perhaps the Little Black Dress?
While talking of celebrity's and op shops, I was lucky to escape with my life and all limbs still attached today when I reached the check out with my picture of David Boreanaz/Angel from the TV series Buffy & Angel. The girl serving behind the counter couldn't believe they'd had it in the store and she didn't know. The lady behind me thought he was gorgeous. I didn't think the girl working behind the counter was going to sell him to me, it was very close. I thought I would have to throw my money down and make a break for it.


These were some sig's I've seen recently and reading them made me laugh so I thought I would share.

*************************************************

Well behaved women rarely make history

"If a woman who sleeps with other women is smashing patriarchy, then a woman who sleeps with whomever she wants is just plain anarchy."
-Unknown

*************************************************